Language Placement Exams

Language Placement Policy

All students must fulfill Austin College’s Foreign Language Competency requirement. To determine their placement in a language, they should follow the guidelines below. See more information by clicking the image at the right.

OPTION ONE:

Students interested in French, German, Greek, Latin or Spanish

Students who have NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in a language or wish TO BEGIN A NEW LANGUAGE, different from the one that they have previously studied in high school, are not required to take a placement test. They simply register for level 101 in the language they wish to take.

Students who have taken ONE YEAR in any of the languages mentioned above should enter that same language at the 101 level.

Students who have taken TWO YEARS in any of the languages mentioned above should enter that same language at the 102 level.

Students who have taken THREE OR MORE YEARS in any of the languages mentioned above MUST take the placement test to be placed at the appropriate level. All the students who take the test and place at the 202 level or higher must consult the CML department to see if they have fulfilled Austin College’s Foreign Language Competency requirement and, if so, to learn of the options they have for continued study. •Note: If any change in level needs to be made, the student should talk to his/her language instructor. The change will be at the instructor’s discretion, based on the student’s best interest.

OPTION TWO:

Students interested in Chinese, or Japanese

Students who have NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in a language or wish TO BEGIN A NEW LANGUAGE, different from the one that they have previously studied in high school, are not required to take a placement test. They simply register for level 101 in the language they wish to take.

Students who have already studied one of these languages need to contact the faculty member responsible for placement in that language (see contact information below).